


Lieutenant Carter

by Thatoneloser_kid



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/F, Nurse!Angie, lieutenant!Peggy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-16 12:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3488819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatoneloser_kid/pseuds/Thatoneloser_kid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy is a lieutenant and Angie is a nurse stationed at her base, she also happens to be the nurse sent to stitch Peggy up when she gets shot</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

Honestly, Peggy didn't feel a thing until one of the boys mentioned the blood gushing out of her shoulder. That's when the pain hit her like a fraught train. She fought through it, though, heading back to camp with a almost half men than she had left with.

Her second in command suggest that she head to her room and that he would send one of the nurses along to see to her.

There was a knock on her door less than a minute after she sat down at her desk and the door creaked open when she called for them to enter. "Lieutenant Carter, officer Thompson sent me along, he said you took some lead to the shoulder."

"Yes, come in." Peggy said, not taking her eyes off of the papers in front of her.

"Are you really doin' work right now?" The nurse asked, tentatively walking over to Peggy and setting her things on Peggy's desk.

"A through and through to the shoulder isn't going to be a sufficient excuse for not notifying the families of the men we lost today." Peggy explained, eventually lifting her eyes to look at the woman in front of her. The pen in Peggy's hand almost slipped from her grasp, this wasn't a nurse she had seen before. This woman was definitely new.

"You're incredible. You hear stories about the great Peggy Carter, regardless of what camp you are stationed at. You're a really hero amongst us women."

"What's your name?" Peggy asked, watching the woman fix out all of her equipment. "It's only fair I know yours since you know mine."

The woman chuckled, readying the needle with anaesthetic. "I'm Angie Martinelli."

"Peggy Carter."

"I know." Angie grinned, looking up at Peggy through her eyelashes. "I bet you're in pain, this will help a lot with that."

Angie eyed Peggy's shoulder before motioning to the woman's shirt. "I'm sorry, lieutenant Carter, but you're going to have to take your shirt off for me."

"Please, call me Peggy." Peggy said, groaning as she stood up, working on getting her buttons undone one handed.

"Would you like me to-" Angie pointed to Peggy's buttons and Peggy nodded.

"If you wouldn't mind, Miss Martinelli."

"Angie is fine." Angie flashed Peggy a quick smile before setting about unbuttoning the woman's shirt.

"Are you new at this base, Angie?"

"I am. I was deployed her yesterday." Angie explained, looking unsurely up at Peggy once she had fully unbuttoned the woman's shirt. "This is gonna hurt."

"It's ok."

Angie nodded, slowly pushing Peggy's shirt off her shoulder. Peggy leg out a hiss through clenched teeth, breathing a sigh of relief when she heard the fabric hit the floor.

"I'm gonna inject you with some local anaesthetic, it will take a few minutes to kick in but once it does you won't feel a thing, I promise." Angie explained and Peggy nodded. Needles never bothered her anyway.

"Where are you from?"

"New York. Yonkers." Angie answered, gauging Peggy's reaction to the first injection before continuing. "How about you, English?"

"London."

"Thankfully, this is looking like a through and through so I don't think I will have to poke around to find any bullet fragments." Angie explained as she peered at the wound from the back. "Could you sit up on the desk for me?"

Peggy obeyed, sliding up onto the desk, watching Angie as she footered   about, waiting for the anaesthetic to take effect. "Have you always been a nurse?"

"I was a waitress and aspiring Broadway star before the war."

"An actress? You definitely have the profile for it."

"Are you calling me pretty, English?"

"I am." Peggy gave Angie one stuff nod, watching the nurse as she poked experimentally at her shoulder.

"Well, thank you." Angie smiled, nodding towards Peggy's shoulder. "How was that?"

"Didn't feel a thing."

Angie nodded, picking up the bottle of saline solution.

"And here was me under the impression that Peggy Carter was invincible." Angie teased, grinning up at Peggy as she soaked the wound in saline.

This was refreshing to Peggy, she was so used to people being afraid at her that she expected everyone to just be silent around her.

"Not quite."

"You will be out of action until this heals. Dependin' on how good your immune system is that could take up to a month." Angie explained, wiping the dry blood from around the wound. Peggy nodded, but Angie could tell she had no intentions of taking time off. "I mean it, if you go back into the field before this heals you will tear the stitches. I've had a few men not listen to my orders and they have had to get the limb amputated. I don't wanna have to do that with you."

"You are giving me orders?" Peggy arched her eyebrow, a grin playing on her lips as she watched Angie skillfully threaded the needle.

"I am. I would order bed rest, too, but I know you wouldn't listen." Angie positioned the needle as Peggy's skin. "You will feel a little pressure here but it shouldn't hurt. If it does, let me know right away."

"Yes, ma'am."

Angie chuckled lightly, pushed the needle through Peggy's skin. "How long have you been stationed in France?"

"About six months."

"Where were you before that?"

"Russia."

"With the hundred and seventh, right?" Angie lifted her eyes briefly to see Peggy nod. "There's a lot of stories going around about that. I heard you took over a hydra base and saved hundreds of lives."

"Do you believe everything you hear?" Peggy whispered, her eyes following Angie as she leant closer to get a better look at the stitching.

"Only the good stuff." Angie replied just as quietly as Peggy had asked, looking up at the lieutenant through her eyelashes. "See, those fellas who are threatened by you try and drag you down with bullshit stories. Turn around for me."

Peggy moved her body round forty five degrees so her back was to Angie. "How do you know they're bullshit?"

"Women are a lot more articulate than men, we think before we act. All the stories I hear, the bad ones, just seem to reckless. You've made mistakes, everyone in this war has, but I don't think any of your mistakes are nearly as bad as people make out." Angie cleaned he wound on Peggy's back, her free hand coming up to rest on the skin where Peggy's neck met her shoulder to keep the woman still. "I think your mistakes are amplified because you're a woman. Men are trying to prove that us women shouldn't be out in the battlefield, or workin' at all, we should be at home, making dinner for any man that will take us." Angie rambled on, putting a smile on Peggy's face because she was one hundred percent correct. "But I don't wanna be stuck with someone just because he will have me."

"You're too good for that." Peggy commented, feeling the pressure of the needle penetrate her skin.

"I am, English. Every woman is. I don't understand women who are happy to serve their husband like they're slaves. I want more than that."

"If only more women had the same mind set as you do."

"You've been shot before." Angie commented, running her fingertips along the two bullet holes on Peggy's other shoulder.

"Those are from Russia."

"And this one?" Angie took Peggy completely when she ran her cold fingers along the scar just bellow her ribs.

"A knife. You think this bad you should see the other guy."

"I don't doubt for a second that he came out of that fight worse off." Peggy didn't have to look at Angie to know she was grinning. "I'm just gonna dress this and you're set to get back to work."

"There's no rush. The work I have to do is hardly the most favourable."

"I'm sorry you lost some men."

"It's the reality of war, I've come to terms with that, the thing that is getting me most is that Fitzgerald's wife just had a little baby girl. He was supposed to be going on a week long leave at the weekend to see them."

"That's rough." Angie sighed, taping up Peggy's shoulder. "You're all set. The anaesthetic will start to wear off soon and you will be in pain but if it gets to much stop by the medical quarters, ask for me. I will give you some pain medication."

"Are you holding back on giving me those now so I will have to come by and see you tonight?"

"Partially." Angie grinned, cleaning up all of her equipment. "But we also aren't allowed to give out pain killers because a lot of the pills we prescribe are highly addictive."

"I guess you'll be seeing me later, then."

"I look forward to it." Angie picked up her bag and made her way towards the exit but stopped, turning back to Peggy. "Oh, and I will have to change your dressing and check up on the stitches at least twice a week but we can schedule that tonight."

"I will be by once I finish this work. If I finish it by tonight."

Angie nodded, smiling at Peggy one last time before leaving the woman's room.

* * *

 

It took Peggy a good five hours to finished writing up the letters to the families of the men who were killed in the battle, the letter to Fitzgerald's wife being a particularly tough one to write.

Peggy sighed as she left her room, walking the short walk over to the medical quarters.

Peggy entered the tent just in time to hear Angie growl, "Keep your hand to yourself or you will lose it."

Peggy frowned, following the voice to station two.

The man sitting in the chair seemed to ignore Angie's warning, reaching forward to touch the woman again but Peggy caught his hand before he could, arching her eyebrows threateningly at him when his head whipped around, as if he was ready to give whoever had grabbed him an earful.

"I pretty sure she told you not to touch her,  _private_." Peggy growled, keeping ahold of the mans arm when he tried to yank it away. "I need Miss Martinelli's services right now. Station five, and if I find out from the lovely nurse there that you even looked at her the wrong way that pitiful cut on your head will seem like a paper cut, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good," Peggy released the man's hand, motioning over to station five with a little wave of her fingers. "Toddle off now."

The soldier grumbled under his breath as he stood up and dragged himself over to station five.

"Miss Carter, I was beginning to think I wasn't going to be seeing you tonight." Angie said, drawing Peggy's attention away from the soldier. "And thanks, they get a bit handsy in here."

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

"I'm working."

"That doesn't matter. If anyone complains tell them to come and speak to me."

"You don't want any painkillers?" Angie asked, pointing back to the locked medicine cabinet.

"No."

"Ok," Angie motioned for Peggy to lead the way, following the lieutenant out of the tent. "Where are we going?"  

"Nowhere in particular. I just needed to get out of my room."

"I can't imagine what it's like writing letters back soldiers families."

"It is a horrible reality of war." Peggy sighed, looking down at Angie who shivered against the bitterly cold French wind. Peggy honestly didn't blame her, those uniforms were ridiculously thin.

Peggy shrugged her heavy green jacket off, not without a sharp jolt of pain hitting her shoulder, placing it around the shorter woman's shoulders.

Angie startled at the sudden contacted, looking down at the jacket before looking up at Peggy. "You don't have to."

"I know. But I know how thin those uniforms are."

Angie smiled, sliding her hands into the sleeves, gripping onto the lapels with her sleeve covered hands and pulling them closer to cover the bottom half of her face. "Are you allowed to give a mere peasant like me your all important jacket?"

"It's my jacket I can give it to whomever I please." Peggy answered. "And you aren't a peasant."

Angie merely hummed, eyeing Peggy's injured shoulder as they walked. "I know you're tough but there is no way you aren't in pain. You have a  _hole_  in you."

"I'm fine. I can handle it."  

"But you don't have to, that's why we have painkillers."

"Men died tonight, the least I deserve is a little pain." Peggy said and Angie frowned, ceasing in her movements and holding onto Peggy's arm to stop her from walked.

"That's not how it works." Angie argued softly, lightly tugging Peggy round to look at her. "Those men losing their lives is not on you. It is not your fault and it sure as hell doesn't justify you being in pain."

"I knew it was dangerous, I shouldn't have taken them in there."

"We are at  _war_ , Peggy. We can't go to the toilet without it being dangerous."

Peggy released a little laugh at those words, averting her eyes to the ground.

"You can't blame yourself for the men you lose, you will drive yourself crazy if you do." Angie voice was soft as she spoke, her head ducking slightly to look Peggy in the eyes. "We are taking you back and getting you some painkillers."

"Can we just stay here for a little bit?" Peggy asked, lifting her eyes to Angie's. "I have so make stuff to deal with back there. The colonel is coming by and I have to tell him what happened today and why we lost so many men." Peggy let out a puff of air and shrugged her shoulders, wincing at the pain that came with the shrug. "I don't know what I'm going to tell him."

"Sure. We can stay here." Angie agreed.

"I never did thank you for stitching me up." Peggy smiled, glancing over Angie's shoulder towards the dim lights of the main section of their camp.

"It's my job, you don't have to thank me." When Peggy looked back at Angie she was grinned, her blue eyes sparkling in the low light that was emitting from the quarters behind Peggy.

"It's still nice to show your appreciation."

"Well, it's nice to know someone appreciates me." Angie replied playfully.

"The work you do here is admirable, you keep dying soldiers alive, you help soldiers who were as good as dead get back to their families." Peggy all but gushed smiling when Angie just blinked up at her. "You girls might not get told this but you are definitely one of the unsung heroes of this war."

"Lieutenant Carter, you keep complimenting a girl like this and she will develop an ego." Angie teased, averting her eyes from Peggy.

Peggy could tell Angie was trying to play off her embarrassment. "Well, someone who does as much as you do deserves to have a bit of an ego."

"You are not nearly as intimidating as people have made you out to be."

"I can be if you wish."

"No. No, I mean I  _saw_  you be the woman I've been made to believe you are with that creep back there but I was told that you were always hard faced. That you were ruthless with everyone."

"I feel like you have a point here?"

Angie gave a little shrug. "I dunno, you're just different from what I expected."

"You had expectations?" Peggy raised her eyebrows, partially in surprise, partially teasingly.

"Of course. When you're going to be stationed at a camp with the great Peggy Carter you wonder what it would be like to meet her."

"And am I living up to expectations?"

"No," Angie admitted, noticing the look of disappointment that crossed Peggy's face. "This you is better than the you I had in my head."

"Well, that's somewhat comforting." Peggy glanced over Angie's shoulder when she saw the already dim lights of the camp get dimmer. "We should head back. Colonel is probably already there waiting for me."

"At this hour?"

"It is more than likely, yes." Peggy nodded her head in the direction of the camp, slowly walking with Angie beside her.

The women walked in silence, Peggy just taking comfort in having someone with her, someone who wasn't there out of fear.

"Lieutenant Carter," Colonel greeted them as they entered the main tent. He briefly eyed Angie, nodding his head towards the door. "If you don't mind, miss, this has nothing to do with you."

Angie wanted to roll her eyes but she refrained from doing so, clenching her jaw as she made her way back out of the tent.

"Was she wearing your jacket, Carter?"

"She was, sir, I will be sure to get it from her when we are through here."

The man gave her one stiff nod, motioning for her to take a seat.

* * *

 

Peggy was exhausted after the barrage of questions she has received from the colonel, who made it more than apparent that he thought it was her fault those men were killed, and she had never been more thankful to get back to her quarters and just relax on her own.

Except she wasn't alone.

When she entered her room Angie shot up from her place in the arm chair in the corner of Peggy's room. "I just realised you are a lieutenant, should I have been saluting you this entire time?"

"Only men in uniform should salut me," Peggy sighed, running on hand over her face.

"That bad?"

"He made it more than apparent that the force is blaming me for the lose of those men." Peggy admitted, throwing her arms up in frustration, ignoring the pain in her shoulder. "He's fucking loving it, too. All of them are. They're just jumping at the chance to drag my name through the mud."

"But it's not your fault."

"That doesn't matter to them."

"I'm sorry, what are they gonna do?" Angie asked, slowly walking over to stand in front of Peggy.

"Nothing. The only reason he asked me in there was to make a fool out of me. To make me seem inadequate."

Angie tentatively took ahold of Peggy's shaking hands, making the lieutenants eyes snap up to her. "Don't let them have the satisfaction of getting you in this state."

Peggy released a long breath through her nose, chewing on her rosy bottom lip as she stared over Angie's shoulder, waiting until she had calmed down a little before she looking back into Angie's eyes. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I still had your jacket and I didn't wanna leave you without painkillers." Angie explained, motioning in the general direction of Peggy's desk where the painkillers were. "I also thought you might need to talk to someone. I'm a good listener."

"There really isn't much to talk about and it's been a long day, I honestly just want to get to bed."

"Oh, right, yeah. Of course." Angie nodded, looking somewhat embarrassed as she tried to move away from Peggy but Peggy kept her in place by gripping a little tighten on the nurses hands.

" _But_ , since I have been  _ordered_  to take time off for a little while, you could stop by whenever you're off." Peggy offered, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she raised her eyebrows at Angie. "I could use the company."

"Ok. I get off work at seven tomorrow, is that ok?" Angie asked unsurely.

"Yes, that's fine." Peggy assured, "Thank you for walking with me and I'm sorry for how that arse spoke to you."

"It's not your job to apologise for him. Now, let me give you your painkillers, these will tide you over for at least five hours. If the pain gets to much after that just head over to the medical wing, one of the girls there will be able to help you out."

"What time do you start?"

"Seven," Angie answered, grinning knowingly up at Peggy.

"I think I can hold off until then."

"If you feel like you must." Angie chuckled, walking over to Peggy's desk and picking up the little bottle of pills, popping open the top and shaking two onto her palm. "I'll get you some water."

"There's no need." Peggy assured, placing one hand on the back of Angie's and twisted the woman's hand so the pills rolled into Peggy's other hand.

Angie watched, somewhat impressed, when Peggy knocked back the pills and swallowed them without water.

"Are you trying to impress me, English?" Angie teased with a little grin, picking up her jacket from Peggy's bed, sliding her arms into the sleeves.

"Can I walk you to your quarters?"

"It's almost midnight, no one will be around."

"The fact that it is almost midnight is exactly the reason I wish to walk you to your quarters."

Angie fixed the lapels on her jacket as she eyed Peggy curiously. "That would be nice, thank you."

Peggy nodded, moving to open the door and motioning for Angie to leave first.

Angie flashed Peggy a bashful little smile, pulling her coat a little tighter around herself as she walked out into the chilly air.

"You have a fella waiting for you back in England? Or a fella out there fighting?" Angie asked, peering up at Peggy as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

"I don't. Do you?" Peggy asked, watching Angie as she shook her head. "Not from lack of suiters, I'm sure."

"If by suiters you mean creepy men hitting on me at the diner than sure, the list is endless." Angie scoffed, turning look at Peggy when she reached to door to her sleeping quarters, crossing over her ankles as she looked up at the woman. "Men are creeps, English."

"You don't have to tell me that, Miss Martinelli, I am more than aware of the fact."

"I will see you tomorrow." Angie smiled, moving swiftly to kiss Peggy's cheek before quickly ducking into her quarters with a quiet; "Night, lieutenant Carter."

"Yes, goodnight." Peggy murmured to the closed door, a little grin appearing on her lips when her brain finally caught up with what had just happened.

"Are you still out there, English?"

Peggy startled at the voice that came from behind the door. "No,"

"You realise that by answering me you've proven that you're out there."

"Goodnight, Miss Martinelli." Peggy replied, turning and leaving before she could hear the no doubt obnoxious reply, heading back to her room with a grin on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me way to long to do another chapter of this.

Peggy had been up most the night, between the pain in her shoulder and the memory of yesterday's battle fresh in her mind sleep really didn't come easy to her, and when she did sleep it was like she was just reliving it. 

 

By four am she had given up on trying to sleep and decided to use her time to make a dent in the back log of work she had. 

 

"Come in." Peggy called distractedly when there was a knock on her door, her head in her hand as she finished the paperwork in front of her. 

 

"Have you slept at all?" Peggy lifted her head at the sound of Angie's voice, smiling at the nurse as she leant against against the doorframe, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do I _need_  to order bed rest?"

 

"I tried to sleep," Peggy tapped the end of her pen against her desk.

 

"Your shoulder?"

 

"Amongst other things."

 

Angie nodded sympathetically. "Come have breakfast with me, English."

 

Peggy looked down at what she was wearing, a pair of army issued sweat pants and her old academy tee. 

 

"You don't gotta get changed, English, you look good as is."

 

"I'm sure a sleep deprived lady in sweat pants is every mans dream." Peggy jibbed as she stood up, setting her pen down on the papers. 

 

"Maybe not ever mans dream but we both know men are idiots." Angie flashes Peggy a cheeky little grin. A grin that Peggy can't help but smile at.

 

"Come on then, Miss Martinelli." Peggy gently bumped her non-injured shoulder against Angie's as she walked through the door way. "So, did you stop by to invite me out for breakfast or was there something you needed?"

 

"I was on my way to breakfast when I saw your light on." Angie shrugged. "I just wanted to see if you were doing ok."

 

"That's- sweet, Angie. But you don't have to worry about me."

 

"You're a big girl, tough, one of the best in the field but last night you made it more than apparent that you needed someone to look out for you, what with you not wantin' painkillers and not _eatin'_." Angie gave Peggy a pointed look, like she was challenging the lieutenant to argue. Peggy didn't. "I just wanna help you out, us girls gotta stick together, English."

 

"Yesterday was just a tough day, I don't often miss meals."  

 

"I'm not sure I believe you," Angie commented, smiling up at Peggy when the woman reached past her to open the door. 

 

Peggy was met by salutes from the few sleepy soldiers that were sitting at one of the tables. Peggy nodded in return, following Angie up to the counter. 

 

A stale looking hot dog with beans, could Angie really blame her for not wanting to eat any of the food. 

 

Peggy sat down at one of the tables, fully expecting Angie to sit down across from her but Peggy was beginning to realise that personal space wasn't something Angie was familiar with when the nurse fall down beside her, their arms brushing together as they ate. 

 

"Where'd you get that?" Angie asked, stretching her pinky out to touch the little crescent moon shapes scar on the back of Peggy's left hand. 

 

"Russia." Peggy said simple, turning her hand over to show Angie a matching scar on the inside of her palm. "I bet that's one of the stories you weren't told. That _before_  we took over that hydra base and saved those people a few of us were captured." Peggy wiggled her middle and ring fingers slowly. "I can't use these like I used to."

 

"What did they do?" 

 

"They tried to get information out of Bucky and I. Bucky came off worse than I did, lost an arm." 

 

Angie ran her fingertip along the the raised skin on Peggy's palm. "What'd they do to you?"

 

"That was a chisel." Peggy nodded towards her hand. "They didn't have proper torture tools so they had to improvise."

 

"They tortured you?" Angie sounded utterly outraged at that fact, like she wasn't living a life that had her witness pain and suffering on a daily basis. 

 

Peggy gave a little nod, watching Angie's finger trace her scar. "But, like I said, Bucky bared the brunt of it, they didn't believe a women could know any important government information."

 

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. That must have been a tough thing to get over."

 

"Life goes on, the war continued."

 

"They did give you leave, right?"

 

"My leave was being shipped here. The war is considerably less stressful here in France." Peggy explained, folding her hand up into a fist as she pulled it away from Angie and gently prodded at the hot dog on her plate. 

 

"The whole point of leave is to be away from all war environments."

 

"It's a _world war_ , Miss Martinelli. I couldn't get away from this even if I wanted to." 

 

"I'm just sayin', English." Angie gave Peggy a little shrug, though the worried look was still present in her eyes. "Bottlin' it all up like that ain't good for you."

 

"I'm not bottling anything up. We are talking about it now, are we not?"

 

"I am more than certain you aren't telling me anythin'." Angie arched her eyebrows, pointing her plastic fork over at Peggy before stabbing them into her beans. "But I trust that you're clever enough to know when you need a break."

 

Was she?

 

"And if you do ever need someone to vent too," Angie pointed her fork towards herself. "I'm your girl."

 

"I will keep that in mind." Peggy nodded, a soft smile on her lips as she nodded down to the little splashes of sauce on Angie's off white uniform. "In hindsight white probably wasn't the best choice of colour for a uniform that will see a lot of blood and bean sauce."

 

Angie's eyes shot down to where Peggy had nodded to, her pale cheeks tinting pink when she noticed the splashes of orange on her uniform. "Damn it."

 

Peggy grinned a little, averting her eyes to the food on her plate, using the edge of her fork to cut a little piece off the sausage before stabbing it into the meat. "I would not even feed this shite to animals."

 

"Lieutenant Carter," Angie gasped, a somewhat smug grin appearing on her lips. "I didn't think a proper British woman like yourself would know such foul words like that."

 

"Darling, if you think us Brits are to proper for swear words you are in for a shock."

 

"Well," Angie drawled, resting her chin on her hand and fluttered her eyelashes at Peggy. "I can't wait to heard all the cuss words you know, English."

 

Angie was flirting with her, Peggy knew that, and maybe that's why her brain just ceased to work, and Angie was clearly very aware of the effect she was having on Peggy if the little smirk she was sporting was anything to go by.

 

Peggy's eyes dropped to Angie's lips when the nurse pulling the bottom one between her teeth.

 

"Miss Martinelli," Peggy startled at the sudden voice but Angie just smirked, dragging her eyes off Peggy to look at the woman standing by their table. 

 

"Yes, Sarah?"

 

"You're needed at the ward, theres a fella needing his leg off." The woman, Sarah, said, looking rather pale.

 

"I guess we will need to reschedule this," Angie said, giving Peggy a little wink as she stood up, patting Peggy's non-injured shoulder. "Get some sleep, English, and I will see you tonight."

 

"Goodbye, Miss Martinelli."

 

* * *

 

 

Peggy made her way back to her room a few minutes after Angie had left with the intention of going back and getting some sleep but then she noticed the unfinished paper work on her desk so she didn't actually lie down for another two hours.

 

Then, again, sleep just wouldn't come easy to her, with the pain in her shoulder, the thoughts of the battle and the image of how Angie had looked at her back in the eating quarters. That then lead to her thinking about how Angie had always looked at her, with that subtle look of awe in her eyes. Not fear, not detest like everyone else at the base.

 

Then there was the kiss. Now, Peggy didn't want to think to much into that, women kissed each other on the cheek, she had _seen_  other women do it, but there was something different about the way Angie done it. Like it was stolen, like it was some big secret. Then it suddenly occurred to Peggy that she had known this women less than twelve hours. She had somehow managed to worm her way under Peggy's skin in that short period of time and get stories from Russia that she hadn't told anyone but Howard and Peggy knew close to nothing about her. That didn't sit right with Peggy. 

 

Peggy eventually fell asleep at around three in the afternoon and was up at six again. She wouldn't say she was well rested but she knew better than to try and force herself to sleep, especially with the nightmares she was having.

 

Angie showed up at ten past seven with a smile and some food. "I was hoping to come by and you'd be asleep."

 

"If you don't want to spend time with me just say so." Peggy teased, leading Angie over to her desk, pulling the big chair out for Angie to sit on before dragging the trunk from the bottom of her bed over and perching herself on top of it.

 

"Did you get any sleep?" Angie asked, pulling open the container of bland looking pasta. 

 

"For a little while."

 

Angie nodded, holding a plastic fork out to Peggy and slid the container between them. "This is all I could snag from the kitchen."

 

"You are aware that that is illegal, aren't you?" Peggy arched her eyebrows at Angie before poking her fork into a few pieces of pasta. 

 

"Are you going to turn me in, lieutenant Carter?"

 

There was a sultry tone to Angie's voice that almost had Peggy choking on her mouthful of pasta but she held herself together, just barely, and levelled Angie was a faux thoughtful look. "Nah, I think I will keep you around for a bit."

 

Angie smiled at that, nodding to Peggy's shoulder. "How's it feelin'?"

 

"Better. Sore." Peggy answered, pointing her fork over at Angie. "Tell me something about yourself?"

 

Angie looked a little surprised, a little frown appearing on her face. "You wanna know somethin' about me?"

 

"Yes. Like, what kind of childhood did you have? Do you have any siblings? Your first kiss? Your first heart break? Just, anything."

 

"My childhood was normal. I grew up with seven brothers, all older, so by the age of ten I was about to defend myself against kids twice my size. My brothers and I would get into all kinds of trouble. My first kiss was nothin' some punk from school who thought a good way to show me he liked me was by kissing me right after eating a greasy slice of pizza. I've never had my heart broken by a boyfriend before, I was never invested enough, but the first time I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest was when I found out my big brother Mikey was killed in action."

 

Peggy frowns sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

 

Angie shook her head, her throat bobbing as she swallowed the lump there. "I don't like picking favourites because I love all of my family but Mikey was my favourite. He was a good man, he didn't believe in a lot of things men believe in, you know? He was the oldest and he looked out for me the most. He showed me how to fight and play soccer and he knew a lot of things about me that I have never told _anyone_." Angie explained, poking at the pasta and shrugged. "He was the only one out of all of us who turned out good."

 

"You have turned out pretty great, Angie." Peggy said. "And, from what I am gathering, that's mostly down to him. I am more than certain he would be proud of you."

 

"Yeah, I'd like to hope so, English."

 

"You're brave, you are aware of that, aren't you?" Peggy has a little frown on her face when Angie looked up at her, like she really can't believe Angie doesn't know this. "You saw your colleague today, she was pale at a sheet at the prospect of removing a guys leg but you just got up like it was nothing."

 

"We don't gotta get all sentimental and- feely about it, English. I can tell you ain't the type for that."

 

"I think that's because I've never had a girl friend to talk to."

 

"Jeez, English. At least take me out to dinner first."

 

It takes Peggy a few seconds to click into what Angie meant but when she does her cheeks heat up as she scrambles to defend herself. "I didn't mean- I meant like a girl who is a friend. I'm not saying being into girls is bad, or anything, I just-"

 

"Calm down, English." Angie chuckled. "I was kidding."

 

"Yes, right. Of course you were."

 

"It was nice watching you squirm though." Angie has a smug little grin on her lips as she chewed on some pasta and Peggy came feel herself blushing. Again. 

 

"I'm glad you find it amusing."

 

Angie grins, resting her elbow on the surface of the table then leant her chin on her fist. "Did you always want to be an army women?"

 

"I wanted to be a police officer but growing up during the First World War changed that."

 

"So you have always wanted to do a job that is, supposably, more tailored to men than women?"

 

"I did want to be doctor at one point to but my teacher in primary school knocked that out of me pretty quick." Peggy admitted, standing up and pulled open the trunk she had been sitting on, sticking her arm in and feeling around for a few seconds before pulling out a bottle of Whiskey. "I'm quite thankful, really." Peggy said, grabbing two glasses and setting them down on her desk, pouring them about half way before handing one to Angie. "I'm not the biggest fan of blood and guts."

 

"I didn't have you pegged as a whiskey kinda girl, English."

 

"There's a lot you don't know about me, New York." Peggy says in a gravely voice, deciding to play Angie at her own game. And it worked, If the dopey look on the medics face was anything to go by.

 

"I can't wait to pry all of it out of you, then." Angie replies in a quiet voice, taking a mouthful of whiskey and wincing as she swallowed it. 

 

"Not a whiskey drinker?" Peggy asked with a smug grin. 

 

"Nah, I'm more of a wine drinker myself."

 

"Sorry, this is all I have."

 

"It'll do," Angie hummed. "When was your first kiss and your first heart break?"

 

"My first kiss was when I was sixteen. It was with this lad from my street, he was nice enough, it wasn't terrible. I've never really experienced heart break."

 

"Not even after losing someone close to you?" Angie asked, finished the remainder of her whiskey and setting her glass on the table.

 

Peggy held up the bottle as an offer of a refill, to which Angie nodded.

 

"I've never lost someone close to me. You know better than to get attached to anyone in the army and I'm an only child."

 

"You're lucky, I can't stop myself from getting attached. It just happens."

 

"You become detached after a while."

 

"After a while of what?"

 

Peggy levelled her eyes on Angie, tilting her head a little to the left. "Do you really want to know about my mummy and daddy issues?"

 

"If you wanna talk about'em." Angie shrugged, leaning a little closer to Peggy, resting her elbows on her knees. "I meant what I said about wanting to listen to you. But if you don't wanna talk about it we can either drink until you do or drink until you actually sleep."

 

"It's stupid."

 

"It's not stupid if it's making you feel detached." Angie argued with a little frown, her hand tentatively moving to touch Peggy's knee. "Feelin' detached ain't good, English."

 

"It's not some great story, Angie. My parents just didn't love me. It's your typical 'born into a rich family and the maid looked after me'." Peggy shrugged and, honestly, Angie couldn't seen any kind of emotion behind her eyes. 

 

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you're great."

 

A little grin tugged on Peggy's lips. "We don't gotta get all sentimental and feely about it, New York." Peggy repeated Angie's previous statement. 

 

"You're a really jackass." Angie huffed, batting at Peggy's thigh before sitting back in the chair. "Though, you doin' that accent, it's pretty cute."

 

* * *

 

 

Both Peggy and Angie had a couple of drinks, just enough to get both of them buzzed. 

 

That then resulted in Angie going into a long story about the one time when she was fifteen and her big brother let her have a few drinks with him. 

 

"He was irresponsible, he was just rebelling against my 'rents and I was curious." Angie shrugged, resting her cheek in her hand, staring over at Peggy with a glazed look in her eyes. "When was your first drink, English?"

 

"Guess?"

 

"I think you're the type to wait until you're legal before having your first drink." Angie theorised, narrowing her eyes when Peggy grinned a little. "No?"

 

"No," Peggy shook her head. "I was sixteen. The girl I was roommates with at school brought alcohol from her fathers house. We had had a tough time, classes were getting harder and the teachers were crap. We just needed a break."

 

"Lieutenant Carter," Angie gasped, smirking smugly over at Peggy. "I should've known. Regardless of the innocent little accent there's a naughty girl under all this." Angie waved her hand in Peggy's direction. 

 

"Then we decided to sneak down the kitchen and take whatever food we could find." Peggy admitted, almost guiltily. "A lot of girls didn't get to eat the next day because we had tonnes of food under our beds."

 

"Jeez, Peg. I'm impressed."

 

"Well I am glad my teenage stunts impressed you." 

 

Angie laughed quietly, slowly pulling her eyes away from Peggy to look at her watch. "It's getting pretty late and I'm working early tomorrow."

 

Peggy nodded understandingly, standing up from the chest she was sitting on and offering her hand to Angie. "I will walk you back."

 

Angie knew there was no point in arguing so she nodded, sliding her arms clumsily into her jacket and stool up. 

 

"We should do this again sometime. Maybe when I don't have work early." Angie said when the woman left Peggy's room. 

 

"Whenever you are next off." Peggy agreed. 

 

"Friday?"

 

"It's a date." Peggy nodded, not bothering to try and defend herself when Angie get her a smug look. She probably would have of she was entirely sober. 

 

"Friday then?" Angie asked, turning to look at Peggy once they reached the door to her quarters. 

 

"Friday,"

 

"But I'll see you tomorrow?" Angie asked cautiously. 

 

"I hope so." Peggy hummed, stepping forward and pressing a lingering kiss to Angie's forehead. "Goodnight, miss Martinelli."

 

"G'night, lieutenant Carter." Angie murmured like she was in a daze, a bashful little grin covering her lips. 

 

Peggy smiled softly down at her, looking somewhat contemplative, like she was trying to make a decision on her next move. She lightly shook her head, obviously disregarding whatever she was thinking and took a step back. 

 

"Bye."

 

"Ciao."

 

"Italian?"

 

"Ma and Pa are." Angie said with a little nod. 

 

"You'll have to teach me sometime, the only Italian I know is 'hello', 'goodbye' and 'I don't speak Italian'."

 

"I will. My 'rents can't speak any English so whenever I visit I have to speak in Italian constantly. They get mad if I don't, think I'm talkin' smack about'em."

 

"Are you?" 

 

"Sometimes." Angie grinned cheekily at Peggy. 

 

"Figures. How do you say goodnight in Italian?" Peggy asked and, honestly, if anyone was to walking past them right now it would be very easy to make the mistake of thinking they were kissing, with how close they were. 

 

"Buona notte."

 

"Buona notte." Peggy repeated, her accent considerable less polished than Angie's. "I will work on it."

 

"It needs a little work." Angie admitted, wrapping her fingers around the door handle. "I will see you tomorrow, English."

 

"Buona notte." Peggy said again making Angie grin. 

 

"You ain't terrible." Angie complimented, pushing the door open. "Sleep, Peggy."

 

"Yes, doctor."

 

Angie rolled her eyes but then levelled Peggy with a pointed look as she closed the door. 

 

Peggy smiled, murmured the phrase Angie had taught her, trying to imitate Angie's accent as she walked back to her room.

 

* * *

 

 Peggy had seen Angie every day leading up to Friday, whether it was just a fleeting visit to change the dressing on Peggy's wound or a few hours around the base somewhere. 

 

Peggy was beginning to get bored, though. Not of Angie. No, never of Angie. But of the times Angie wasn't there and she was alone. She couldn't wait to get back to work. 

 

Angie had showed up at seven on Friday, right after she had finished up her shift, and they had broken out the three quarters full bottle of whiskey. 

 

Peggy hadn't expected to get drunk. She honestly only planned on have a few like last time but then the pain in her shoulder started to dull and Angie started to giggle and get all rose cheeked. So a few turned into a few to many and they ended up sitting on Peggy's small bed with their backs pressed against the head board talking about their lives before the war. 

 

"I went to an all girls school." Peggy said after Angie asked her about high school. "M'parents shipped me off to an all girls boarding school." Peggy shrugged a little. "It wasn't terrible, the girls were cute."

 

Angie took a swig of the bottle, they had taken to just sharing the bottle instead of using glasses, before handing it off to Peggy. 

 

Angie gnawed on her lip as she contemplated the next words that would leave her mouth. There was a lot of ways she could have put it but her brain settled for blurting out, "I like women."

 

Peggy lazy lifted her eyes from the label of the bottle to Angie, studying the woman for a few seconds before nodding. "Ok."

 

"Ok?" Angie frowned. Just OK? No look of disgust or outrage just a plain and simple ok. 

 

"Ok." Peggy repeats.

 

"That's it?"

 

Peggy smiles lazily, "Oh, I forgot, you're into theatre. Did you want some big, dramatic reaction?"

 

"No, I just- m'so used to people bein' ridiculed for being gay, I expected you to kick me out or report me and get me sent back t'America."

 

"Come on, Angie." Peggy tutted, her hand landing clumsily on Angie's thigh. "Do you really think I would do that to you?"

 

"I didn't know." 

 

Peggy sighed at the somewhat defeated look on Angie's face, sliding her arm across the medic's shoulder and pulling her tight against her. "I wouldn't do that. I don't care who you are attracted to, Angie." Peggy murmured. 

 

"As long as it ain't you?" Angie offered, only half teasing.

 

"That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," Peggy admitted quietly against the top of Angie's head. 

 

Angie frowned at her feet for a few seconds before lifting her head to look up at Peggy through her eyelashes. "What'd you mean?"

 

"Miss Martinelli," Peggy said carefully, her fingertips dancing along Angie's arm. "I am about to do something that could be considered extremely foolish and I would just like to warn you so if you feel like this isn't what you want or if you are uncomfortable you can tell me so and I will..."

 

"English," Angie breathed, her hand coming up to cup Peggy's cheek. "You talk to much."

 

Angie sat up, stretching her neck up to press her lips against Peggy's, frowning worriedly when Peggy didn't responded. Had she gotten the wrong idea? Was the foolish thing Peggy going to do something else entirely?

 

"I- I'll just go." Angie murmured, moving to stand up but Peggy gripped onto her wrist. 

 

"No, I'm sorry. You just surprised me." Peggy rushed out. "Besides, you can go walking around on your own this late. Stay. I will walk you over in the morning."

 

"I'm a big girl, English."

 

"I just don't want you to get hurt. I want to keep you safe."

 

"That's sweet, it is." Angie smiled softly as she settled back down against Peggy. "I just don't need protecting. I grew up in Yonkers with seven big brothers."

 

"I'm still going to keep you safe." Peggy shrugged, smiling over at Angie. "Whether you like it or not."

 

"I didn't say I didn't like it," Angie murmured, snuggling closer to Peggy, her head resting against the woman's chest. "I'm just sayin' it isn't necessary." 

 

Peggy just nodded, gently petting Angie's hair as they sat in silence.

 

"What does this mean?"

 

"Whatever you want it to," 

 

"What do you want?" Angie asked nervously, lifting her head to look at Peggy. 

 

Instead of answering verbally Peggy gently held onto Angie's chin and dipped down to take the woman's bottom lip in between her own. "I think it's obvious what I want." She whispered again Angie's lips once she pulled back. 

 

"You could get dishonourably discharged." Angie breathed back.

 

"If people find out." Peggy added, her thumb stroking Angie's cheek. 

 

Angie just nodded, smiling softly as she turned her head to kiss Peggy's palm.

 

"You aren't working tomorrow, correct?" Peggy inquired, running her fingers down Angie's neck and across her collarbone.

 

"Not early, no, I'm on the night shift."

 

"So we can sleep in? Just lie in here for a bit."

 

"You don't have anythin' to do tomorrow?" Angie arched her eyebrows, Peggy was in high demand, there was no way she wasn't busy tomorrow. 

 

"Nah, I'm on leave. Doctors orders."

 

"I just didn't expect you to actually follow said orders." Angie bantered, resting her head back in Peggy's chest.

 

"Well, I kind of like the doctor, she's nice." Peggy admitted making Angie laugh. 

 

"I bet."

 

"And she looks very pretty in her uniform."

 

"Lieutenant Carter," Angie gasped playfully, tilting her head back to look at Peggy. "Are you flirtin' with me?"

 

"Mmhm," Peggy hummed throat, pressing her lips to Angie's forehead. "Will the women in your quarter worry if you don't go home tonight?"

 

"No, it's a common thing that happens." Angie shrugged. "Well, the girls are usually staying over at one of the fellas cabins, unless they've lied to us. But you're the only woman at this camp with her own cabin so, tell me, have you ever had another dame in this bed?"

 

"I haven't. You are the first woman I have had in this bed, or any bed, really." Peggy admitted, throwing her legs lazily out of the bed, grabbing the empty bottle and slowly walking over to throw it back into her trunk.

 

"You've never been with a woman before?" Angie asked, pushing herself up onto her elbows as she watched Peggy move around the room. 

 

"I have kissed a woman before but nothing more." Peggy explained, moving the chest back to the bottom of her bed before crawling back onto the bed. "And even that kiss was nothing spectacular."

 

"I've only ever been with one woman," Angie said, turning on her side to look over at Peggy as she laid down beside her. "I have kissed a few."

 

"None of those women lasted?"

 

"Nah, none of it was serious and even the woman I ended up in bed with, that was just a drunken mistake."

 

"Is that what you are going to say this is?" Peggy asked carefully, tucking her hands under her pillow.

 

"No. I'm not nearly as drunk as I was the last time." Angie assured, smiling reassuringly over at Peggy. "And you like me, at least on some level, that woman was only using me. She was upset and I was there."

 

"Oh. Well, that's awful."

 

"Yeah. She wouldn't even look at me after that night, like it was me who came on to her." Angie scoffed. "She got married two month later, to a fella she had known for three month."

 

"Well, for what it is worth, sometimes I can't stop myself from looking at you."

 

A little grin pulls its way on Angie's lips at that statement. "You sure know how to make a girl swoon, English."

 

Peggy smiled, pushing herself up onto her elbow and a little closer to Angie, faltering for a few seconds before leaning over fully and planting a kiss on Angie's lips. "Goodnight, miss Martinelli."

 

Angie grinned, her eyes remaining on Peggy as she leant over Angie to turn on the bedside lap, settling back into the mattress after the room was plunged into darkness. "Yeah, g'night, lieutenant."


End file.
